Chapter-54
Dustin was stunned by Dahlia's hurtful words and furious outburst. Drops of wine rolled down his cheeks and to the ground. He was in a miserable state. Apparently, it was wishful thinking that their relationship had improved. In actual fact, there was nothing left between them.
"What? So you thought that I was falsely accusing him?" Dustin's brows were deeply furrowed as he stared at Dahlia. "Am I that despicable of a person in your eyes?"
"Yes!" Dahlia blurted out. She felt a tinge of regret immediately. Yet, she could not take her words back now. She had too much pride for that.
"Finally! You have spoken what you truly thought of me." Dustin had a disappointed look on his face as he put on a wry smile.
"I have overstepped my boundaries. Who knew that after so many years, you still have feelings for Matt."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Dahlia frowned as well.
"Am I wrong? You said that you would not contact him anymore. Having said that, here you are having wine with Matt. Aren't you being too hypocritical?"
"…" Dahlia was about to explain herself when Dustin interrupted her.
"Maybe you aren't even worried about Matt drugging your drink. In actuality, you hoped that he would do so as this would give both of you a legitimate excuse to get together again. Am I correct?"
It was Dahlia's turn to be stunned by Dustin's words. Her face was a mix of disbelief, disappointment, and regret. Never would she have thought that Dustin would say such words. Did he genuinely think so lowly of her? Regardless of the past three years of marriage, there wasn't a shred of trust left between them.
"Dustin! I'm utterly disappointed in you!" Dahlia gritted her teeth. As she walked away, she struggled to control her emotions.
Dustin stood rooted to the ground. He could feel the anger and hurt washing over him. At this moment, Matt came over. The charming smile that had been on his face just now was replaced by a smirk.
"Dustin, everything you said was correct. I spiked Dahlia's drink and drank her wine to get rid of the evidence. I already took the antidote in advance," Matt whispered into his ear coldly.
"Nevertheless, it doesn't matter anyway. Who would believe you now? Dahlia's smitten with me, and she will support me. There's nothing you say that would change the outcome. What? Are you burning with anger and frustration right now? Sadly, your hands are tied. Besides, I have to thank you for strengthening our relationship with this incident. I believe that she will fall in love with me before long and willingly go to bed with me. However, don't worry. Once I'm tired of her, I'll return her to you soon enough." With this, Matt threw his head back and cackled maliciously.
His true colors were finally revealed. Compared to his gentlemanly disposition earlier, this side of him was cruel and sinister like a venomous snake!
Burning with anger, Dustin cracked his knuckles to prevent himself from punching Matt in the face as he left. Dahlia was obviously still in love with Matt. Even if his intentions were good, Dahlia had no need for his help. Since his actions would only be seen as a hindrance, there was nothing he could do. Although Dustin could convince himself logically, he couldn't help but be aggravated by their relationship.
"Mr. Rhys, what's happened?" At that moment, Natasha and Duane walked out of their booth.
"Forget it. I was just poking my nose where it didn't belong." Dustin said mockingly.
"Matt is notorious for sowing discord and stirring up trouble. Don't be affected by him," Duane continued.
"The main problem is not with Matt but with Dahlia." Dustin shook his head. It would be useless to change her mind if she continued to be obstinate.
"Dustin, don't be hung up over a woman! It's no big deal, women are easy to find," Duane said confidently. "As long as you are rich, women will flock to you. So, shall we get down to business?"
"What business?" Dustin asked with a tilt of his head.
"Of course, it's about the Gemiphen!" Duane smirked. "I've personally tried the miracle pill. A single pill could be worth a fortune! Since you are in need of herbs, why don't we work together? I'll deal with the rest of the business if you give me the prescription. Once I make a profit, we will split it evenly. What do you think?"
"I'm not changing my mind. I don't mind helping you out, but you have to give me some rare herbs in exchange for the prescription. Otherwise, it's a no." Dustin shook his head again.
"Dustin, it will be some time before I get my hands on the herbs you want. Can't you be more flexible?" Duane pleaded.
"Let's talk about this after you have them in your possession." Dustin was immovable. Duane frowned when he heard the resolve in Dustin's tone. This young man was as stubborn as a mule.
Initially, he wanted to start a mutual partnership with Dustin. However, it wasn't going as smoothly as he thought. It seemed like he needed to pull out some of the tricks up his sleeve.
"Ms. Harmon! There's bad news!" A bodyguard dressed in a suit ran into the restaurant hurriedly.
"Yes? What is it?" Natasha asked, surprised.
"It's Ms. Ruth! She has been kidnapped!" the bodyguard reported.
"What did you say?" Natasha's expression turned dark. "Didn't I instruct you to protect her at all costs? How could this happen?"
"We were keeping an eye on her in secret. However, Ms. Ruth managed to escape and went to a private party. By the time we arrived, she was nowhere to be found!"
"Do you know who is behind this?" Natasha frowned.
"It could be Sir Hummer. The kidnappers left a ransom note instructing Mr. Rhys and you to meet at Hummer Villa."
"Edwin?" Natasha gritted her teeth in anger. How dare he endanger a member of her family? He had gone too far with the repeated provocations and needed to be taught a lesson.
Contact the Harmon family. I need some strong fighters as backup! Since Edwin seeks a light, I shall give it to him!"
The next morning, they met at Java Joys.
When Dustin entered the cafe, he noticed a burly man standing beside Natasha. His bulky muscles rippled under his clothes, and his knuckles were covered with calluses. This man was obviously an experienced fighter.
"Mr. Rhys, sorry to bother you. I owe you one." Natasha walked up to Dustin.
"It's all right, I don't mind helping out a friend in need. Besides, they had even specified my name in the note. I have no other choice." Dustin smiled wryly.
Edwin's men had left a ransom note which had his name on it. He was to go with Natasha to save Ruth.
"Mr. Rhys, let me introduce you to Stephan Chapman, one of the best fighters from the Harmon family." Natasha pointed toward the man standing in silence.
"Mr. Chapman, a pleasure to meet you." Dustin nodded in acknowledgment.
"You're Dustin?" Stephan sized him up. "Was it you who took Liam and Noah Asher down?"
"In a way, yes." Dustin nodded again.
"What do you mean, in a way? Don't give such a vague answer. Did you use some shady tricks to win against them?" Stephan stared at him suspiciously.
"Well, as long as it gets the job done," Dustin said nonchalantly.
"As martial artists, we should win fair and square. What's the use of winning when you have to resort to despicable tricks?" Stephan scoffed. He deemed people like Dustin, who don't belong to any martial arts group, as inferior to him.
"That makes sense." Dustin had no interest in arguing further.
"To be honest, I have defeated Liam and Noah in a match before this!" Stephan boasted. "Don't be too proud of yourself even if you win against them! They are weaklings compared to me. Once we have a match, you will know that many martial artists are stronger than you!"
Hearing Stephan's speech, Dustin was lost for words. They were practically strangers. Why was he lecturing him like a child? Who was the one looking down on the other anyway?
"Alright, now that you have made each other's acquaintance, we will be working together after this. Once we arrive at Hummer Villa, we may need each other's help," Natasha cut in.
"I'm sure we won't need to. With me around, it would be easy to take Edwin down," Stephan said confidently.
"Mr. Chapman, it's good to be optimistic, but it's better not to underestimate the enemy. When will Tilda arrive?" Natasha changed the topic.
Tilda Snider was one of her aunts and was famous for her deadly strikes. She was currently the head of security for the Harmon family. Compared to Stephan, she was on a different level. In this fight against Edwin, she was the key to victory.
"Tilda is on her way. She will be arriving shortly," Stephan answered.
"Great. Since she is on her way, let's make a move as well"
On her command, Natasha's car led the way as the group drove in a file toward Hummer Villa. Hummer Villa was situated at the top of a hill which was part of the Hummers" private land. As the cars drove up the hill, Edwin's men kept surveillance on them in the hidden shadows of the surrounding trees.
When they arrived at the villa, everyone got down and entered the back garden. With a pair of scissors in hand, Edwin was busy arranging a vase of flowers in a gazebo. Behind him, Fletcher Lawson and a group of muscular men were standing guard, staring daggers at them.
"Ms. Harmon, you've finally arrived? Have a seat," Edwin said with a smile, pointing to a chair. He acted as if "they were here for a chat.
"Sir Hummer, I've heard that you are holding my sister hostage. Is that true?" Natasha sat down and asked with a poker face.
"To be honest, I only knew about your sister this morning. My men did it at their discretion, so I have reprimanded them," Edwin continued with a charming smile.
"Is that so? Well, why don't you let my sister go?" Natasha pressed further.
"Let her go? That would be impossible." Edwin shook his head. "Ms. Harmon, your sister made a mess at my party, destroyed my antiques, and beat up some of my underlings. If I let her go without repercussions, my reputation in Swinton would be ruined!"
"Then what do you want in return?" Natasha's eyes narrowed.
"It's very simple. Repay me double for my loss." Edwin's smile was plastered on his face. "I've calculated the damage your sister caused and everything amounts to ten billion dollars. As compensation, I want you to hand over half of your business in Swinton."
"Half of the business? Are you joking?" Natasha raised her voice.
"Ms. Harmon, you are only giving up a small part of your assets. Moreover, your business activities are mainly in Milling. You won't be affected much by what I'm asking for," Edwin advised.
"What if I refuse?" Natasha retorted.
"It's only right to pay back what you owe. If you refuse, I can't guarantee that your sister will be safe from harm." Edwin gave her a chilling smile.
"Are you threatening me?" Natasha returned his gaze stonily.
"I'm just giving you a warning. Of course, we can resolve this dispute with a death match. However, the entirety of our assets must be at stake," Edwin said with a smirk.
"A death match?" Natasha mulled over his offer. It was an unsaid rule in the business world. A death match was used to settle the unresolved conflict between warring families in order to prevent unwanted death and bloodshed. There would be three rounds of battle royale in which the opposing families would send out their representatives to fight on their behalf them. There were no rules and everything was fair game.
"Challenge accepted!" Before Natasha could answer, Stephan spoke up. "Isn't it just a fight? We will take you on! Show me some real competition!" Edwin snickered maliciously at Stephan's words. This was what he had hoped would happen!